England's batters demonstrated their adaptability in the 3rd Test at Lord's, shifting away from their typical Bazball strategy to play more traditional cricket. They showed resilience on Day 1, finishing on 251/4 by stumps.
Ashwin: England Ditches Bazball for Prankball at Lord’s
Ravi Ashwin was quick to point out that England had ditched their usual Bazball approach to adapt to the two-paced Lord's pitch. The hosts, who normally score at around 4.5 runs per over during the Bazball era at Lord’s, slowed down to about 3 runs per over, gaining a slight edge over India by the end of Day 1. Joe Root was the architect of England’s innings, finishing unbeaten on 99 alongside his captain Ben Stokes.
“It was a great day for England. Everyone believed England was going to continue with Bazball, but they betrayed everyone by playing Prankball instead. They usually score at a net run rate of 4, 4.5 an over, but today was different. England were going at three runs an over.
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Furthermore, Ravi Ashwin emphasized the importance of Joe Root's knock, calling it a blueprint for how Test cricket should be played.
I had previously discussed that Joe Root scoring runs is very important for the team. Commeth the man, commeth the hour. His innings was a lesson in how Test cricket needs to be played. Root is back,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel.
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Ashwin Highlights Lord’s Pitch Changes, Urges Early Breakthrough
Meanwhile, the off-spinner noted that the Lord's surface was becoming softer during the middle overs, with less carry particularly noticeable when Ravindra Jadeja was bowling. Ashwin predicted that the pitch could become even more bowling-friendly as the innings progresses.
“If you look at this pitch, it possesses some sub-continent tendencies. The ball usually softens up after 60 overs, but if you look at Ravindra Jadeja, one back-of-a-length delivery hit Joe Root’s bat very low. Now, this on Day 1 at Lord’s is quite a contrast to the conditions that you expect in England.”
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Considering this, Ashwin urged Indian bowlers to wrap up the England innings quickly in the first session, warning that the pitch could become increasingly unpredictable. He also expressed concern that the variable bounce at Lord's might challenge Indian batters later.
“There is a contrasting bounce and variable pace on this pitch. If I were India, I would be telling the bowlers to roll them out in the first session tomorrow. Can they keep England below 350? Because the longer England play, this surface is going to play tricks,” Ashwin added.
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